Colours of Love
by Generalpandathefourth
Summary: Gail has a tattoo


Holly traced over Gail's tattoo with a barely there touch. The brunette did that often, almost every time her shirt was off and it was exposed, Holly would worship it when they had sex and paint it all back on when they were done. Line by line, branch by branch, root by root, she'd draw with her finger tips over the bare tree tattoo that covered the left half of Gail's back.

It used to scare Gail, make her nervous that someone was so close to something so close to her vulnerable self, but she never wanted Holly to stop. She liked the tingle of Holly's touch, she liked knowing someone looked at something she got from sadness and saw strength and beauty. Gail closed her eyes and was lead back to the first time her girlfriend -then friend- saw it.

 _Holly turned her onto her back, and blindly started making her mark._

 _Gail's skin was on fire, every touch, every kiss, sent an electric shock pulsating though her veins. Holly bit her neck and soothed it with her tongue, trickling her hands down her sides. Heat shot down between her legs. Gail was swimming in delight._

 _The brunette made her way down to Gail's shoulder, her tongue never leaving pale skin._

 _Then it was gone. Gone was the gentle touch and light scratch, gone were soft lips and quick bites._

 _"What's this?" Holly ran a finger up the left side of Gail's back._

 _Gail turned to try and see what her friend was going on about, she had been enjoying what was happening before the interruption. When the ink caught her eye her heart stopped._

 _What was she supposed to tell the brunette? Was she to give an explanation, or just brush it off?_

 _"Uh, it's my tattoo."_

 _"I can see that." Holly gave a breathy chuckle, still following each line with the tip of her finger. "I just didn't know you had one, which one would think I have seeing as this isn't out first time."_

 _Gail shifted uncomfortably. "I forget about it, and it never came up."_

 _Holly stopped her movements._

 _"Am I making you uncomfortable? We can stop" she raised up onto her knees and began to shuffle back._

 _Minutes ago Holly had been yearning to rip off every piece of clothing they had on, but she'd wanted to go slower than that, -make sure Gail was in this and got everything she deserved- and now she was grateful for the little clothing they still wore. With Gail lying face down and still wearing -albeit lacy and revealing- underwear, it was easier to focus and she was able to get off the bed without getting distracted._

 _"No. It's fine, I'm fine." Gail sat up at the loss of company._

 _Holly hesitated, half dressed._

" _You're forgetting who you're talking to, Gail. I can read you like a book, and that right there," she gestured to Gail. "is all kinds of uncomfortable."_

 _"It's not you, I just...don't like talking about it." Gail looked to her bed sheet._

 _Holly looked her over to see of any lies and came up empty. Gail was vulnerable and small, slowly coiling back into her shell with every passing second._

 _"Ok. Then I won't touch it or mention it again."_

 _Gail cracked a shy smile._

After that Holly never touched the left side of her back, shirtless or not, it didn't matter. Gail appreciated her keeping the promise, taking such measures to make her comfortable and not once questioning it any further. But Gail missed it. She missed the caress, she missed the tingle, she yearned for more of the curious trail Holly had started when she first discovered the barren tree, and she had found herself daydreaming of what it would have been like if she'd just let Holly continue her play.

It didn't take long for those daydreams to take over the next time they were together. And her request -after reassuring her a few times- was taken to a whole new rush, everything she'd picture and hoped for barely showed in comparison to the real thing.

And so Holly's love of Gail's tattoo began.

"When did you get this little addition?" Holly murmured against her skin, right over the new splotch of colour.

Gail grinned to herself. "I got it over the holidays while you were visiting your parents."

"I like it." Holly hummed.

"I'm glad you do, I did pick it out with you in mind."

Holly moved up to her jaw, kissing a trail up to meet Gail's lips with her own.

"Oh really?"

Gail nodded.

"Did you not have enough money to fill in all the branches or was it more of a time and pain thing?"

Gail swallowed hard. It had been just over a year since they started sleeping together, friends with benefits, which didn't last long as feeling started to grow and their relationship blossomed into what it was now. But even with all of their history, their love, and openly talking being their 'thing', Gail still had yet to explain her tattoo. Holly still held her word and had never asked anything beyond how it felt, and when she got it.

Now she had to explain.

Gail patted the bed next to herself, wanting to hold Holly while she told the story.

Holly moved into her girlfriend. Her eyes asking a million unspoken questions, some with worry, most with curiosity.

"I've never told you why I got it." Gail quietly spoke into the crook of her girlfriends neck.

"You don't have to, I wasn't meaning to ask." Holly sputtered quickly.

"Shh, Nerd. I want to tell you." She shushed.

"Only if you're okay with it, I always love to know more about you."

Gail's nose scrunched up. "None of that gross sappy talk Nerd, it ruins the mood."

Holly chuckled, making Gail's head shake. "My bad."

"So when I was 19..." Gail started the sad and depressive story of how she lost all of her family in a car crash when she was 18.

How lost and empty she was without her older brother Steve to guid her through the struggles of adulthood in his weird Steve way. Steve was her rock, he was the one to teach her right from wrong, strength and loyalty, showed her that letting your guard down wasn't the end of the world, taught her how to fight and shoot a gun, eased her fears about the academy and held her hand through an abortion. He was her friend, her big brother.

How her only Aunt -the last branch in her family tree- dumped her out on the street when she found out Gail was gay, and refused to take her back. Gail told Holly about life on the street until one of Steve's T.O.s recognized her and fostered her.

Oliver Shaw, Holly had heard the name before, Gail visited him often and would babysit his daughters at least once a month. Him and his little family was the closest thing to family Gail had, -which was why she still had yet to meet them. Gail was nervous about everyone's reactions and meeting family was a big step.

She'd gotten the tattoo during her stay with Oliver. He'd chipped in with paying for it and held her hand for the first few hours. Gail chose her tree, her family tree, it was black -like her soul she laughed- and bare of anything but her, because she didn't have family anymore. She'd lost all of her leaves and was pulled out of the dirt, no longer had deep roots in rich soil, instead was stripped of everything but her self as the strong trunk and empty branches waiting to be full again.

"Now I have one whole branch of family, I have you, so it only felt right to add onto my tree." Gail twirled a strand of dark hair. "And next week I'm going back to get Ollie and the girls in their favourite colours."

She leaned back onto her elbow, Holly was being awfully quiet and she was worried.

Tears were staining tanned cheeks, leaving wet streams in their path to the ground. Gail's heart broke, she didn't like when the brunette was upset, especially when she was the cause.

"Please don't cry, you know I can't stand it when you cry." Gail said softly, wiping at the tears.

Holly smiled sadly and leaned into her touch. "I love you, Gail."

"I love you too, Hol."


End file.
